Bringing you delicious traditional bakes with a twist!

Easter Nest Cupcakes

These beauties are quite time consuming but are soooo worth it. Not only are they unbelievably cute but they also taste very scrummy! This recipe makes 12 large cupcakes.

Ingredients

For the cupcake:

150g self-raising flour

150g caster sugar

150g unsalted butter (at room temp)

3 eggs

60ml milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the buttercream:

140g unsalted butter (very soft)

280g icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the chocolate nests:

200g milk chocolate

3 large shredded wheat – crushed

selection of mini eggs/fluffy chicks for decoration

MethodPreheat oven to 180 degrees.

Start with the cake ingredients and in a bowl cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, flour, milk and vanilla extract and using an electric whisk (saves time and arm ache!) beat the mixture until completely smooth with no lumps.

Spoon in cupcake cases and bake for 20-25 minutes. Until a knife in the middle of a cupcake comes out clear. Leave on the side to cool.

As the cakes are cooking start making the chocolate nests. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water. Once fully melted remove from the heat and stir in the crushed shredded wheat.

Spoon into small cake cases and shape with a spoon to make small nest shapes then place the eggs inside the nests. Set in the fridge for 1 hour.

Now make the buttercream by mixing all the ingredients together until a smooth paste type mixture forms. Once your cakes are completely cooled, use a piping bag and a star shaped nozzle to pipe the buttercream in a spiral shape onto each cake.

When your chocolate nests are completely solid, remove from the cases and place one on top of each cake and press slightly into the butter-cream to stick them down. Decorate with fluffy chicks if you want to give them an extra Easter touch.